NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State Redbirds will put their three-game win streak on the line over the weekend, as the squad plays host to I-74 rival Bradley in a three-game series starting on Friday evening.
Friday, May 4 | 6 p.m.
Live Video:
ESPN3
Live Audio:
WZND
Live Stats:
Illinois State StatBroadcast
Illinois State Starting Pitcher:
Brady Huffman, RHP, 1-3, 4.40 ERA
Bradley Starting Pitcher: Cole Cook, LHP, 4-4, 4.29 ERA
Saturday, May 5 | 2 p.m.
Live Video: None
Live Audio:
WZND
Live Stats:
Illinois State StatBroadcast
Illinois State Starting Pitcher:
Brent Headrick, 1-6, 6.47 ERA
Bradley Starting Pitcher: Mitch Janssen, 4-0, 4.03 ERA
Sunday, May 6 | 1 p.m.
Live Video:
ESPN3
Live Audio:
WZND
Live Stats:
Illinois State StatBroadcast
Illinois State Starting Pitcher:
Matt Walker, 4-1, 4.47 ERA
Bradley Starting Pitcher: Sam Lund, 5-2, 4.37 ERA
PROMOTIONS FOR THE WEEKEND
Attendance is free for all games during the season.
Friday: The Illinois State Redbirds will be hosting its annual "Stuff the Duff" game, sponsored by DP Dough, as the school will look to set a Duffy Bass Field attendance record. The first 130 students into Duffy Bass Field that evening will receive a free Redbird silhouette "Dad Hat" courtesy of Red Alert. Fans in attendance will also have a chance to win an autographed baseball, signed by former Redbird standout and current St. Louis Cardinals shortstop
Paul DeJong. There will also be a special $1 hot dog deal for the game.
Saturday: The first 50 kids, 12 and under, will receive a Redbird branded baseball. The team will be available on the field after the game for autographs.
CONFERENCE MATCH-UPS
With three weekends to play, Illinois State hosts Bradley in one of four conference series this weekend. Also playing a weekend series is Missouri State at Valparaiso, Indiana State at Southern Illinois, and Evansville at Dallas Baptist.
SCOUTING THE BRAVES (26-11, 8-4 MVC)
Bradley comes into the game after seeing its eight-game win streak snapped by dropping two of three games at home against Missouri State over the past weekend.Â
This year the Braves have four players hitting at or above .300, led by Brendan Dougherty, who is hitting .357 with a team-high 33 runs scored. Keaton Rice is hitting .340 with 25 RBI's, while Andy Shadid and Luke Mangieri are each batting .336. Derek Bangert leads the team with four home runs and 31 RBI's, as Mangieri has drawn 23 walks.
The pitching staff of Bradley has a combined 4.12 ERA, as all three weekend arms sit below 4.40 on the season. Mitch Janssen is 4-0 with a team-high 48 strikeouts in 44.2 innings of work, while Cole Cook is 4-4 with 43 strikeouts against just 10 walks in a team-best 56.2 innings this season. Boby Johnson has four of the team's six saves this season, and 22 strikeouts over 28.2 innings, while Alex Gray is 6-0 in 10 appearances out of the bullpen.
SCOUTING THE REDBIRDS (17-24, 4-8 MVC)
Illinois State's offense is led by sophomore shortstop
Owen Miller, who is batting .391 - second in the Missouri Valley Conference - with 12 doubles and four home runs.
John Rave is batting .345 with team-highs in runs (37), triples (3), home runs (6), and RBI's (37). Freshman catcher
Tyson Hays has reached base in 12 of the 13 games he has played this season, with an on-base percentage of .537, while
Jack Butler - who has appeared in 20 games with six starts - has a .324 batting average.
The pitching staff is led by a trio of sophomores in
Brady Huffman (1-3, 4.40 ERA),
Matt Walker (4-1, 4.47 ERA), and
Brent Headrick (1-6, 6.47 ERA). Huffman leads the trio with 49 strikeouts, while Headrick has 46 in 55.2 innings, and Walker 45 in 46.1 innings. The bullpen is led by senior
Trevor Cross who has 39 strikeouts in 29.1 innings, while
Colton Johnson is 2-2 with a 5.02 ERA and 14 appearances.
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